Debt Consolidation Advisors

Oregon Debt Relief Laws

Oregon state fair debt collection law (Oregon Revised Statutes Sections 646.639 to 646.646 and 697.005 to 687.095) is similar to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Important rules include:

Collectors cannot trick you into paying for collect calls or telegrams

Debt collectors cannot threaten and misrepresent who they are or what their company does

Collectors cannot send correspondence in postcard form and can only display the agency’s name and address on the envelope

You cannot be charged additional fees from a collector for your debt

Collectors cannot publish or post your name

If you are being represented by an attorney, the collector or agency must work through that attorney and not you

You can only be contacted by a collector between 8am and 9pm (unless you’ve agreed to another time)

You have up to 30 days to dispute a debt--once the written dispute is set in motion the collector cannot contact you until it provides you with documentation

Oregon consumers can sue debt collection agencies should they violate the law. Consumers can be awarded up to $200 in damages in addition to being able to pursue legal action through the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Oregon Statue of Limitations (SOL)

Oregon has a six-year statue of limitation (SOL) on open accounts such as credit cards, meaning that the creditor can contact you for up to six years. For written contracts creditors can also pursue you for up to six years. Consumers can consider Oregon debt settlement during the time the account remains open.

Oregon provides a higher number of exemptions from wage garnishment for public benefits than other states. Areas of non-income wage garnishment exemption include:

Pensions: exemptions in both private and public pensions are possible in Oregon

Public benefits/assistance-- Oregon protects public benefits and assistance including workers’ compensation, unemployment, aid to families with dependent children and crime victims’ compensation